St Joseph’s School Newsletter

The Learning Zone

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." - Chinese Proverb

NAPLAN Results

Our 2022 NAPLAN results (Year 3 and Year 5) were excellent and identified many areas that we can be extremely proud of.  Below is a summary of just some of the highlights:

  • On six out of ten assessments, our school’s average score was higher than national averages.  These areas were:
    • Year 3 Writing
    • Year 3 Spelling
    • Year 3 Grammar & Punctuation
    • Year 3 Numeracy
    • Year 5 Reading
    • Year 5 Spelling
  • The percentage of students in the top 2 bands is remarkable (there are six achievement bands in each year).  
    • Our best result in this area was Spelling, with 59% of both Year 3 and Year 5 students in the top 2 bands.
    • In four of the ten assessment areas we had more than 50% of students in the top two bands.

The outstanding 2022 NAPLAN results are a testimony to our well structured learning improvement agenda and the quality learning and teaching that occurs every day here at St Joseph’s. 

Armidale Diocesan Mathematics Initiative (MaST)

What is happening in the world of mathematics at St Joseph's? Let's take a look! Last week the staff continued their professional development in the area of Mathematics under the guidance of Trish Mitchell and Helen Roswell (MaST Consultants) from the Catholic Schools Office. Thank you to the staff for their enthusiasm and commitment to this initiative

in the area of Mathematics.

 

Please see the information below to assist your child at 

home or to see what they have been doing so far this 

term.

 

 

 

Maths At Home:

Kindergarten - Fractions

Kindergarten have commenced work on Fractions this week. 

 

A half is 1 of 2 equal parts of a whole. This is the beginning of learning about fractions. Encourage your child to discover that a fraction is a part of a whole. The whole could be an object, a group of objects or a number. Show that to create a half, a whole is split into 2 equal parts.

Find as many opportunities to create half in daily life and share them with your child;

• Pour half a glass of milk

• Grab half a dozen eggs

• Use half a cup of flour when cooking

• Cut an apple in half

• Play outside for half an hour

• Explore the northern or southern hemisphere (half of the world) on a globe

• Bring oranges for half time in their weekend sport game

• Play with half the pink playdough

• Cut the ribbon or string in half

 

Stage 1 - Division  

In Stage 1, your child has been showing their understanding of division as sharing and grouping. There are many easy ways you can support this at home. Ask your child to practice division by sharing objects equally. 

For example,  share 8 objects into 2 equal groups. Using objects such as your child’s toys, items of food, or buttons helps them visualise what the calculation means and keeps them interested.

 

Ask your child to find out how many objects there are to begin with. Can they share the objects equally between the two of you? Help them to share objects one at a time between the two groups. When all the objects have been shared, ask your child how many there are in each group. If you have the same number, explain that your child has shared the objects equally into two groups which is the same as dividing by two.

 

If you do not have the same number, ask your child if the objects have been shared equally. For example, “We started with 11 objects and shared them into two groups. I have 6 objects and you have 5 objects. Are they equal? If they are not equal then 11 cannot be shared equally into two groups so 11 cannot be divided by 2 equally using whole numbers or objects.”

 

Problems of the Week:

I have 20 lollies to share equally with 4  friends and myself.

How many lollies will each person receive?

 

Is there another way to share the 20 lollies equally with more or less friends? 

 

Draw your answers and show your teacher, it would be great to see your thoughts.

 

Stage 2 - Length

Stage 2 are working on aspects of Length this week. 

Please see the link below:

Doc from NESA and get your kids to measure!

 

Stage 3 - Area

Stage 3 have been working on their 2D Space unit.  This involves protractor work and learning about the properties of triangles, circles and other 2D shapes.

 

 

"Coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress,

and working together is success." - Henry Ford

 

Have a great week of learning and fun!

 

Maree Holland & Greg O'Toole